Stop motion for drafting mechanisms



July 30, 1957 c. J. LONG EIAL 2,800,686

STOP MOTION FOR DRAFTING MECHANISMS Filed April 30. 1953 2 ShaetsSheet 1 INVENTORS: .C HARLIE 3'. L0 NG ana Tosewu M. HELMS.

BY M

ATTOR NEYS July 30,- 1957 Filed April 30. 1953 'c. J. LONG ETAL STOP MOTION FOR DRAFTING MECHANISMS GIJ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III/II r1 CHARLIE J. LONG and .TosEPH M. HELMS,

INVENTORS.

ATTORNEYS iiniteoi States S2361? MUTEQN EUR DRAFTLQG MECHANISMS Chariie 3. Long and Joseph M. Helms, Monroe, N. C.

Application April 30, 1953, Serial No. 352,114

7 4% Unions. c1. 19-165) This invention relates to electrical stop motions for drawing frames, roving frames and the like having a plurality of top and bottom rolls and a top roll clearer board or the like associated therewith, and more particularly to an adjustable stop motion which will be actuated upon a predetermined amount of foreign matter, such as lint, dirt, loose cotton fiber or the like being built up on the top or bottom drawing rolls to thereby force upwardly the top roll clearer board cover associated therewith.

Heretofore, electrical stop motions have been provided for drawing frames which are actuated by an electrical circuit being completed between the frame work of the drawing frames and a top roll clearer board, but this arrangement has not proven satisfactory because the stop motion mechanism is actuated upon merely a small accumulation of foreign matter on the top or bottom rolls and no adjustment means has been provided whereby the amount of foreign matter thereon may be a factor in adjusting the sensitivity of the stop motion mechanism.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a stop motion switch actuated by atop roll clearer board cover which may be adjusted as to sensitivity, and which will automatically stop the drawing machine upon cotton, iint, fibers or the like wrapping around or collecting on any of the rollers of the drawing frame, thereby insuring that thick and thin places will not be formed in the sliver being drawn.

It is another object of this invention to provide an elec-, trical stop motion actuated by a top roll clearer board cover which stop motion may be easily installed on existing drawing frame, which will require a minimum of maintenance, and which will immediately and automatically stop the drawing frame upon the drafting rolls being parted a predetermined distance by any means.

it is another object of this invention to provide an electrical stop motion actuated by the top roll clearer board cover being raised due to an accumulation of foreign matter on either the top or bottom rolls and said stop motion also serving to automatically start the drafting machine upon the accumulation being removed and the top wall clearer board cover being reseated.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which' Figure 1 is a front elevation of the central portion of a drawing frame with parts broken away and showing the stop motion attached thereto;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-6 in Figure l and showing aschematic wiring diagram associated with the stop motion;

Figure 4 is a view similar to the upper portion of Figure 3, but showing the stop motion in the operative or circuit breaking position.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 2,8Wfi8fi Patented July 30, 1 957 10 broadly designates the framework of a drawing or drafting mechanism, such as a drawing frame, on which a plurality of laterally spaced drawing frame standards 12 are fixedly secured as by bolts 13 and on each of which a plurality of U-shaped roll bearing blocks 14 are fixedly secured. A plurality of top and bottom drawing rolls 16 and 17, respectively, are suitably journaled in each of the bearing blocks 14.

Suitable sliver S is processed between the top and bottom rolls l6 and i7 and, as is well known, it is desirable to maintain a constant predetermined thickness to said sliver. The stop motion of this invention facilitates the maintenance of such constant predetermined thickness by stopping the machine upon a predetermined variance in sliver thickness.

There is also provided a top roll clearer board cover stand 20 which is fixedly secured to the drawing frame standards 12 and to which a top roll clearer board cover 21 is pivotally secured as at 22. The top roll clearer board cover has a clearer board 25 suspended thereon with a taut top roll clearer 26 mounted thereon. The top roll clearer 26 is mounted above and in engagement with the top rolls to in such a manner that the top rolls 16 are cleared of any lint or foreign matter tending to adhere thereto as the drafting machine is in operation. The endless top roll clearer 26 does not rotate and is of such material that it will barely yield between the supporting pins or rods therefor. As lint or other matter collects on the rolls, the corresponding top roll raises the clearer 26 and clearer board 25 and, since the rocking movement of the clearer 26 and clearer board 25 is limited by adjacent top rolls, the clearer board, through its pivoted connection with said cover 21, will raise said cover 21 regardless of which top roll or top rolls are raised by excessive accumulations of lint or the like thereabout or about the corresponding bottom rolls.

The above described parts are conventional parts of a drawing frame and it is with these parts that this invention is adapted to be associated.

A stop motion mechanism 30 comprising an elongated vertically disposed switch housing 31 is suitably connected to each of the foremost roll bearing blocks 1 and the drafting frame standards 12 as by an car 32 and bolts 33, each housing 31 being spaced and insulated from the respective bearing block 14 and the standard 12 by suitable insulating material 34. The bolts 33 may be made from an insulation material or suitably insulated from the car 32. Each housing 31 has a bore 35 therein and a reduced lower end portion 36, said reduced portion 36 being formed of an electrically conductive material and having a relatively small bore 37 therethrough concentric with and communicating with the bore 35.

The bore 35 in the tubular housing 31 is fitted with a sleeve 46 formed of any suitable electrical insulating material and an electrically conductive plunger 41 is slidably mounted therein. The electrically conductive plunger 41 has a head 41a and a smaller stem 42, there being a shoulder 41b between the stem 42 and the body of the plunger ill. The stem 42 extends downwardly and passes through a bushing 43 presesd into a restricted portion 44 of the insulation sleeve 40.

The lower end of the stem 42 extends downwardly beyond the bushing 43 and beyond reduced portion 36 of the housing 31 and is threaded for the reception of a contact in the form of a conductive collar 45 and retaining nut 46. The stem 42 does not contact the reduced portion 36.

A compression spring 47 is positioned around the stem 42 within the insulating sleeve 40, said spring being depressed, by the weight of the top roll clearer board cover 21, between the upper surface of the restricted portion 44' of the sleeve 4s and the shoulder 41b of the plunger 41. Thus, the spring 47 normally urges the plunger 41 upwardly into engagement with top roll clearer board cover 21 and, upon the top roll clearer board-cover being forced upwardly a predetermined distance-by an accumulation of foreign matter, the spring 47 will force the plunger 41 together with the stem 42 andcollar 45 carried thereby upwardly ,to a point where thecollar 45 will contact the lower surface ofthe reduced portion 36. The compression spring 47 is of sufficient strength to support part of the weight of the cover 21 and thus act as a counterbalance and allow the cover. 21 to be raised slightly with little effort.

A suitable'cover 59 encloses the lower end of the stem 42 and the collar 45, said cover being secured to the reduced portion 36 as by a screw 51. The screw 51 also serves to secure one end of wire 52 to the reduced portion 36, and it will be observed by referring to the schematic electrical diagram in Figure 3, that the other end of the wire 52 extends to one side of a magnetic coil 60, the other side of which has a wire 61 leading therefrom to one side of the secondary coil of a transformer 62. The opposite side of the secondary coil of the transformer 62 has a wire 63 leading therefrom to the clearer board cover 21 and grounded thereto or grounded to any suitable place on the framework connected to the clearer board cover.

The drawing frame is usually driven by an electric motor, illustrated in Figure 3 by the reference character 65, to one side of which a wire 66 is connected which leads to a magnetically operated electrical switch 67 of which the coil is a part. The switch 67 and coil 60 may be termed collectively as a relay. The other side of the switch 67 has a wire 70 leading to a plug 71 which may be connected to a suitable source of electrical energy, not shown. The opposite side of the motor to that to which the wire 66 is connected, has a wire 72 connecting the motor and the plug 71. The primary coil of the transformer 62 is supplied electrical energy by a pair of wires 73 and 74 which are connected to the wires and 72, respectively.

It is thus seen, that any time the plug 71 is connected to a suitable source of electrical energy and the switch 67 is closed or in the solid line position shown in Figure 3, an electrical circuit is completed through the wire 72,

motor 65, wire 66, switch 67 and wire 70 to thus cause the motor 65 to continuously operate and drive the drawing frame. It is also observed, in Figure 3, that an electrical current will flow to the primary coil of the transformer 62 through the wires 73 and 74. It is also seen,

that the electrical energy will be induced in the secondary coil of the transformer 62 and will flow through the wire 61, magnetic coil 60, the wire 52. Upon the electrically conductive collar 45 moving upwardly to the position shown in Figure 4 electric current will flow through the reduced portion 36, the collar 45, the stem portion 42, the electrically conductive plunger 41, the top roll clearer board cover 21, the wire 63 and back to the transformer 62 to thus complete the circuit to the magnetic coil 60; Completing the circuit to the magnetic coil 66 will cause the switch 67 to move to the closed or dotted line position shown in Figure 3, to thus break the circuit to the electric motor 65 and immediately stop the drawing machine, or frame.

When the operator sees the drawing frame stop, he may then raise the top roll clearer board cover 21 and remove the obstruction or cotton surrounding the rolls which had caused the cover 21 to be raised and immediately' upon lowering the top roll clearer board cover 21 back to its normal position, that is, to the position shown in Figure 3, the circuit to the magnetic coil 60 will bebroken by the collar 45 moving away from the housing and thus allow the switch 67 to again close to immediately start the drawing frame motor 65 to drive the drawing frame.

The sensitivity of the electrical stop motion switch may be adjusted by vertical adjustment of the collar 45 on the stem 42 of the plunger 41. That is, the further down the stem 42 the collar 45 is placed, the higher the cover 21 has to be raised to bring the collar 45 into contact with the reduced portion 36 of the housing 31. It is thus seen that the stop motion switch may be set so that the circuit to the magnetic coil 60 will be completed upon any predetermined amount of cotton or the like being accumulated on either the top or bottom rolls to raise the cover 21.

It is thus seen, that I have provided an electrical stop motion for drawing frames which will be immediately effective when a predetermined accumulation of cotton or the like is built up on the top or bottom rolls of a drawing frame sufiiciently to raise the top roll clearer board cover a predetermined amount. The electrical stop motion will also automatically start the drawing frame again upon the accumulation of cotton or the like bing removed and the top roll clearer board cover being positioned back into its normal operating position.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

We claim:

1. A stop motion for a drafting mechanism having top and bottom drafting rolls driven by an electric motor and a top roll clearer cover movable upward by upward movement of any of the top rolls upon an accumulation of lint and the like thereon; said stop motion comprising a substantially vertically disposed tubular housing secured to and insulated from said drafting mechanism, first contact means on the lower end of the housing, a coil interposed in a first electrical circuit between a current source and said first contact means, a normally closed switch disposed adjacent the coil and adapted to open upon energization of the coil, said switch being interposed in a second electrical circuit between said current source and said motor, a conductive plunger mounted for vertical movement within said housing and insulated therefrom, the upper end of said plunger being in engagement with and grounded by the top roll clearer cover and said plunger being movable thereby, the lower end of said plunger extending downwardly beyond said housing, a compression spring encircling said plunger and urging the plunger upwardly, second contact means on the lower end of said plunger and normally being spaced from said first contact means and adapted to engage said first contact means upon upward movement of said top roll cover to energize said coil to open said switch, and said second contact means being adjustable to vary the amount of said upward movement necessary to cause said second contact means to engage said first contact means.

2. A stop motion for a drafting mechanism having top and bottom drafting rolls driven by an electric motor and a top roll clearer cover movable upward by upward movement of any of the top rolls upon lint and the like accumulating on said rolls; said stop motion comprising a substantially vertically disposed electrically conductive tubular housing secured to and insulated from said drafting mechanism, first contact means on the lower end portion of the housing, first conductor means between said first contact means and a source of current, a magnetic coil interposed in said first conductor means, second conductor means between said source and said motor, a normally closed switch adjacent said coil and interposed in the second conductor means, a conductive plunger mounted for vertical movement within said housing and insulated therefrom, a stem on the lower end of said plunger, a compression spring encircling the stem of said plunger and urging the plunger upwardly, the upper end of said plunger being in engagement with the top roll clearer cover and said plunger being movable thereby, second contact means on the lower end of said stem adapted to engage said first contact means upon upward movement of said top roll cover to ground the first conductor means to energize said coil to open said switch and stop said motor, and said second contact means being adjustable to vary the amount of said upward movement necessary to cause said second contact means to engage said first contact means.

3. A stop motion for a drafting mechanism having top and bottom drafting rolls driven by an electric motor and a top roll clearer cover movable upward by upward movement of any of the top rolls upon lint and the like collecting on said rolls; said stop motion comprising a substantially vertically disposed tubular housing secured to and insulated from said drafting mechanism, said housing having a conductive restricted lower portion and a longitudinally extending bore therethrough, an insulating sleeve pressed in said bore in said housing, said insulating sleeve having a restricted lower portion, a bushing pressed in said restricted portion of sad sleeve, first conductor means between said motor and a source of electric current, a normally closed switch interposed in said first conductor means, a second conductor means between said source and the conductive portion of said housing, an electromagnet interposed in said second conductor means and disposed adjacent said switch, a conductive plunger mounted for vertical movement within said bushing and said sleeve, said plunger having a body portion and a reduced stem portion forming a shoulder therebetween, said plunger also having a head on the upper end thereof adapted to engage the top roll clearer cover and said plunger being movable thereby, a compression spring encircling said stem between said shoulder and the restricted portion of said sleeve and urging the plunger upwardly, the lower end of said stem portion extending downwardly beyond said conductive restricted portion of the housing and being maintained in spaced relation therefrom by said bushing, a conductive collar adjustably secured to the lower end of said stem portion, and said conductive collar being adapted to engage said conductive restricted portion of the housing upon upward movement of said top roll clearer cover to energize said electromagnet and to open said switch for stopping said drafting mechanism.

4. An improved switch mechanism adapted to be interposed in an electrical circuit of a machine and wherein said machine is provided with a weighted member which is movable upwardly upon faulty operation of said machine; said switch mechanism comprising an elongated, substantially vertically disposed conductive housing adapted to be insulatably secured to said machine beneath at least a portion of said weighted member, an insulation sleeve disposed within and extending longitudinally of said housing and having a restricted lower portion therein, a metallic bushing fixed in the restricted lower portion of said sleeve, a plunger comprising an enlarged upper portion and a reduced stern portion depending from the enlarged portion, said enlarged portion being mounted for vertical sliding movement in said sleeve, said stem being mounted for vertical sliding movement in said bushing and extending downwardly beyond the lower end of said housing, a metallic contact adjustably mounted on the portion of said stem disposed below the housing, a compression spring surrounding the medial portion of said stem and having its upper end engaging the lower end of the enlarged portion of said plunger and having its lower end engaging the upper end of the restricted lower portion of said sleeve whereby while the weighted member rests against the upper end of said plunger it maintains the contact member in spaced relation to the lower end of said housing and, upon upward movement of said weighted member, the contact on said stem of the plunger moves into engagement with the lower end of said housing to establish electrical contact therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 185,164 Bullough Dec. 12, 1876 534,992 Brady et al. Mar. 5, 1895 2,450,738 Russell Oct. 5, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 590,677 France June 20, 1925 

